Camera skid tractor nozzle assembly

Abstract

A camera skid and thrust nozzle assembly for supporting a camera while being positioned in a tubular pipe or conduit spaced. from any wall of the conduit and permitting movement of the assembly along the conduit. The assembly includes a cage rotatably fastened to a high pressure fluid tractor nozzle, wherein the cage can rotate about an axis through the tractor nozzle. A camera support structure is fastened within the cage for rotation of the support structure about the axis independent of rotation of the cage. The camera support structure has a weight attached thereto for urging rotational orientation of the camera support structure within the cage according to a sensed external gravitational force on the assembly.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 804,639, filed Mar. 23, 2013, and No. 61 / 912,458, filed Dec. 5, 2013, both entitled Camera Skid Tractor Nozzle Assembly. These applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0002]A high pressure rotary nozzle and tractor device is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20120205405. A high pressure fluid switching valve tractor device for use with a nozzle is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,667,987. These publications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Such nozzles and tractor devices are particularly well suited to industrial uses where the operating parameters can be in the range of 1,000 to 40,000 psi and flow rates of 5 to 150 gpm, and when rotary nozzles are employed, rotating speeds of 10 to 1000 rpm or more may be needed.[0003]For inspection of sewer lines and o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]In both of these embodiments described above, the camera module is preferably mounted to a separate journal bearing sleeve on the common axle via a radially offset camera tray such that the centerline of the camera is parallel to the axle, but the entire center of gravity of the module and tray is displaced from the axle. In this way the gravitational force on the overall assembly will keep the camera module vertically aligned as the cage skid assembly is propelled along the piping. Similarly the cage skid is fastened to the common axle by another journal bearing sleeve so that the skid is free to rotate on the axle separately so as to readily negotiate bends and around obstacles in the piping segment in which it is inserted.

Problems solved by technology

However, the hose naturally has some twist as it is advanced and retracted which tends to cause the sled to tip over.

However, friction in the swivel at operating pressure apparently prevents this swivel from performing the desired function.

Images